Category Archives: Book Spotlight

Book Review: The Garden by Nick Newman

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Pub Date: Feb 18 2025 by PENGUIN GROUP Putnam

Closed off from the world, Evelyn and Lily are two elderly sisters who grew up inside a walled garden that includes a stately home and outbuildings. With both parents gone they must work daily in the decaying garden for survival. For decades, they obeyed the rules their mother set for them in a handwritten almanac. They must not break the rules. They must not venture outside the garden or enter the main house their mother boarded up decades ago. The decaying house contains secrets. Their mother told them that there were things that would harm them, which left the sisters contained in the kitchen and the garden with its outbuildings. 

They thrive on routine for their existence and survival, and while each sister is attending to their appointed chores, Evelyn notices a bee box has been moved. This concerns her greatly and she wonders who could have done it? Her sister is afraid of bees and wouldn’t go near the hive. Then other things happen, and they soon discover a boy with no name hiding in their boarded house. Why is he here, who is he and what does he want? This new development disrupts the sister’s lives in more ways than one, and everything they thought they knew about their existence starts to unravel and secrets about their parents are revealed in the most shocking way. Will their haven world they built end as they know it?

There is a slow build-up throughout the story, and I felt it was needed. You get a realistic sense of the sisters’ relationship, dire situation and the world they live in. I was mesmerized by the sister’s lives, the garden house and their reliance on each other.

I was a bit taken back about how the story came to an abrupt ending. At first, I thought I must have accidentally skipped a couple pages or so-but I didn’t, but I was disappointed. I guess I will just have to imagine my own ending to the story. There are a few unanswered questions I have, especially about the boy with no name. This leaves me wondering if he was real or not.  

I was truly immersed in this uniquely woven story and the sister’s lives. Despite being elderly, they maintained their childish innocence in so many ways. Particularly, Lily since she is the youngest and Evelyn’s need to protect her from the little details she knew about their lives. 

With eerie dystopian elements, “The Garden” is evocative and beautifully written. A must read!

I obtained an ARC from the publishers through NetGalley for an honest review.

Stephanie

Reader’s Log 032: A New Year of Reading

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This is going to be another fabulous year of great books coming out, reading and discovering new authors. I recently finished reading, “Every Precious and Fragile Thing” by Barbara Davis and it moved me so much that I’m still thinking about the story and getting teary eyed. My review will be posted closer to the publish date. I’m currently reading a couple others including, “Babylonia” by Costanza Casati and it is fabulous! I’m delighted to have discovered Casati’s work and look forward to seeing what she publishes next. I already have so much to say about the story, the time period and where the story takes place. Also, I should be posting my review of, “Sisters in Science” by Olivia Campbell soon. I’m a bit behind on that one because how important this story is and I want to make sure my review conveys the importance of women’s contribution to Science.

I know I said I was all set for the titles I was going to read and review this year but I can’t turn down invites to Random House and Atria books often. That is my excuse and I’m sticking to it. Ha!

The next Reader’s Log will be about the book I got for Christmas! Can’t wait to share! – Stephanie

Paris Undercover (A Wartime Story of Courage, Friendship, and Betrayal) by Matthew Goodman

Pub Date Feb 04 2025 by Random House Publishing Group

Description

Two women in Nazi-occupied Paris created a daring escape line that rescued dozens of Allied servicemen. With one still in a German prison camp, the other wrote a book about it—a memoir built on fabrications. Now the bestselling author of Eighty Days shares their incredible, never-before-told full story.

Etta Shiber and Kate Bonnefous are the unlikeliest of heroines: two seemingly ordinary women, an American widow and an English divorcée, living quietly together in Paris. Yet during the Nazi occupation, these two friends find themselves unexpectedly plunged into the whirlwind of history. With the help of a French country priest and others, they set out to rescue British and French soldiers trapped behind enemy lines—some of whom they daringly smuggle through Nazi checkpoints hidden inside the trunk of their car.

Ultimately the Gestapo captures them both. After eighteen months in prison, Etta is returned to the United States in a prisoner exchange. Back home, hoping to bring attention to her friend Kitty’s bravery, she publishes a memoir about their work. Paris-Underground becomes a publishing sensation and Etta a celebrity. Meanwhile Kate spends the rest of the war in a Nazi prison, entirely unaware of the book that has been written about her—and the deeds that have been claimed in her name.

In researching this story, Matthew Goodman uncovered military records and personal testimonies that reveal, for the first time, the shocking truth behind Etta’s memoir and the unexpected, far-reaching consequences of its publication. More than just a story of two women’s remarkable courage, Paris Undercover is a vivid, gripping account of deceit, betrayal, and personal redemption.

Letters from the Dead by Isabella Valeri

Pub Date May 27 2025 by Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books

General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers

Description

This addictive debut novel takes us into an intoxicating world of old money, privilege, and family intrigue as a young heiress must return home from a decade-long exile to face the powerful enemies arrayed against her, including those within her own family.

For the first eleven years of her life, the precocious daughter of a great European family tracing its roots back more than fifteen generations, never set foot on land that her family didn’t own. Cloistered on a sprawling estate in the Alpine foothills, as the youngest sibling of her generation she has little knowledge of the dark forces gathering in the shadows to strike at her family. But, when her insatiable curiosity leads her to uncover a priceless text hidden hundreds of years before, she shines light into corners meant to be left in the dark and threatens to uncover secrets that could trigger an internecine battle for succession.

Then, with no warning or explanation, she is whisked away on a private jet and exiled to an elite but isolated all-girls boarding school in the United States. More than a decade later, now in her twenties, she finds her bank accounts abruptly frozen by her family. She is recalled from her affluent but empty existence abroad. Little does she know that her family has plans for her, including an arranged marriage. Worse, as she draws closer to discovering the horrific act that sent her into exile a decade before, and shadowy enemies close in on her family, she must face her most dangerous and powerful foe: her own father.

Reader’s Log 031: Last Light over Galveston by Jennifer L. Wright

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Book Spotlight

Excited to receive an ARC of this book!

Pub Date Aug 12 2025 by Tyndale House Publishers

Christian | Historical Fiction | Romance

Description:

Amid the 1900 Galveston hurricane, one woman’s perseverance is tested in this captivating story from the author whose work has been called “intelligent and arresting” (Foreword Reviews) and “historical fiction as it is meant to be told” (Library Journal).

I walked until I could go no farther, until open water was all I could see.

Galveston, Texas. September 1900. Only months ago, Kathleen McDaniel returned from finishing school in Switzerland to her family home in New York’s Hudson Valley with a future of promise and privilege set before her. But one horrific event shattered her picturesque life. Now she has fled as far as the train line and a pocketful of money would take her, finding refuge at the St. Mary’s Orphan Asylum on Galveston Island, where she helps the nuns care for their young charges and prays her past will not find her. Despite her tenuous standing at the orphanage—and the grief and betrayal that drove her from home—Kathleen slowly begins to make friends. There is Emily, the novice nun she rooms with; Maggie, the tempestuous young girl who only bonds with Kathleen; and Matthew, a kind, handsome man recently employed by Isaac Cline at Galveston’s office of the US Weather Bureau.

Then in one fateful day, Kathleen’s fragile new life begins to crack as it becomes clear that she can’t run far enough to escape the reach of her former life. Meanwhile, as troubling news about a storm crossing the Gulf from Cuba swirls in the Weather Bureau offices, Matthew holds fast to Cline’s belief that no hurricane can touch Galveston. But as darkness falls on the island, Kathleen must gather her courage and reach for a strength beyond her own if she—and those she loves—are to survive.

Book Review: Death Comes in Threes by Michael Jecks

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Book 9 of A Bloody Mary Tudor Mystery

Pub Date Jan 07 by Severn House

Princess Elizabeth’s unlikely assassin finds himself on the hook for two murders in this light-hearted Tudor mystery series!

August, 1558. As London is bustling with growing trade from foreign lands, and Queen Mary’s health is once again a hot topic, Jack Blackjack has much to keep him busy. And that’s before his new tenant – a Dutch merchant – disappears under a cloud of suspicion, quickly presumed murdered, and Jack’s latest female companion’s body is found mere streets from her dwelling place.

People around Jack keep inconveniently getting murdered, and he seems to be the most likely culprit! With both the authorities and the unsavoury echelons of London on his tail, nowhere is safe for Jack to hide. He must go about proving his innocence – and uncovering the mirky truth – while ensuring he doesn’t find himself dancing the Tyburn jig!

The question is – can he rely on friends in high – and very low – places to get him out of this ever-increasing mess?

My thoughts:

I must caution you, stepping outside the door of your home and taking a stroll down the streets in 1558 London, may be at your peril. At least it is for Jack! How he manages to survive through the whole story is anyone’s guess. I would like to step inside the book and shake some sense into Jack.  Whichever way he seems to turn, he gets himself in a tight spot and also, he seems to have a knack at putting other lives in jeopardy. 

I enjoyed reading Jack’s adventures and his troubles he finds himself in is hilariously comical, and it is highly entertaining how others perceive the kind of man they believe Jack to be and when we read what Jack is thinking in the moment, it’s not like how others perceive him or is it? More times than not, the reader must discern if this was an actual character flaw in Jack or some clever ruse.

Jack is questioned or interrogated so many times, I don’t know how he keeps a clear mind with all his excuses. I couldn’t stop chuckling. My goodness! He says anything to just stay alive which is understandable in his situation.  

What a fun historical mystery!

I’ve rated this book four stars. Now I must read the other books in the series before this one. Stephanie Hopkins

I obtained an ARC from the publishers through NetGalley for an honest review.

Reader’s Log 030: New Arc’s

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Titles for 2025

The New Year is almost upon us and many book lovers are sharing their anticipated reads for 2025. That has always been hard for me to do since I’m a mood reader. That said, I usually have a list of projected titles I want to achieve. Do I read all the titles on my curated lists I select to read in a year? Err… Not usually but in my defense, the lists I make do help in regards to keeping track of the books I want to read whether it be sooner or later. There is also something so satisfying about making book lists. I may have shard these thoughts before.

Now when it comes to reviewing ARCs, organizing is key. I’m pretty much set on 2025 ARC’s and I’m looking forward to a new year of book reviewing, discovering new titles, reading and sharing them. Below are three new ARC’s I’ve recently obtained. Excited!

What are some of the titles you are looking forward to in the new year? Are you a NetGalley member? No? I highly recommend becoming one.

Stephanie  

Every Precious and Fragile Thing by Barbara Davis

Pub Date Feb 18 2025 by Lake Union Publishing

Description:

A mother and daughter try desperately to reconcile just as a decades-old secret threatens to shatter their relationship forever in this powerful story from the bestselling author of The Echo of Old Books.

For social worker Mallory Ward, working with at-risk youth is a calling. But when one of her clients is tragically killed, she finds herself at a crossroads. Despite long-held resentments toward her distant mother, Mallory retreats to her childhood home on the Rhode Island coast to contemplate her future. Instead, she’s confronted by her past, not only in the renewed tensions with her mother but in the unexpected appearance of a familiar face—and the wrenching losses that drove her away a decade ago.

Helen Ward’s home is filled with precious keepsakes from her patients, a testament to decades spent caring for the terminally ill. Her work has always come first, though, leaving little time to connect with her daughter. Over the years, the rift between them has become a chasm, so when Mallory appears unannounced, Helen sees it as an opportunity to repair their broken relationship.

But hidden among Helen’s mementos are the keys to her past…and a terrible secret that threatens to destroy the fragile new trust between them forever.

No Precious Truth by Chris Nickson

Pub Date Apr 01 2025 by Severn House

Description:

The first in a brand-new WWII historical thriller series introduces Sergeant Cathy Marsden – a female police officer working for the Special Investigation Branch – who risks her life to protect the city of Leeds from an escaped German spy!

Leeds, 1941. As the war rages across Europe, Police Sergeant Cathy Marsden’s life since she was seconded to the Special Investigation Branch has remained focused on deserters and home-front crimes. Until now.

Things take a chilling turn when Cathy’s civil servant brother, Dan, arrives from London with a dark secret: he is working for the XX Committee – a special MI5 unit set up to turn German spies into double agents. But one of these agents has escaped and is heading for Leeds, sent to destroy targets key to the war effort. Suddenly Cathy and the squad are plunged into an unfamiliar world of espionage and subterfuge.

With the fate of the country and the war in the balance, failure is not an option, and Cathy must risk everything, including her own life, to stop a spy.

Trust Me On This by Lauren Parvizi

Pub Date Apr 08 2025 by Lake Union Publishing

Description:

Two half-sisters on a road trip to see their dying father end up miles from where they expected in an emotional novel about secrets, forgiveness, and what it means to be family by the author of La Vie, According to Rose.

Zahra Starling and her younger half-sister, Aurora, have nothing in common. Not their childhoods or their personalities. And certainly not their outlooks. After a terrible loss, Zahra prefers the solitude of her LA kitchen to people, especially family. Bubbly Aurora, a rising Hollywood starlet, has everything she’s ever dreamed of, except a relationship with her sister.

Then comes a plea from their dying father, who wants both daughters by his side. He has a secret to share that’s been a long time coming.

It’s Zahra’s last chance to bring closure to the past, even if traumatic memories mean there’s no way she’s stepping foot on a plane. For Aurora, road-tripping to Seattle is the perfect escape and the chance to win over prickly Zahra.

What starts as a rough ride reopening old wounds evolves into something neither expects. When they finally reach their destination—and the truth that awaits them—the sisters will need each other like never before.

Book Review: Remember Me by Lesley Pearse

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Pub Date Mar 18 2021 by Agora Books

In the eighteenth-century England a fisherman’s daughter from Cornwall called Mary Broad was arrested for theft and was sentenced to be hung. Her sentence was commuted, and she was transported to Australia, where she and others on the ship were among the first convicts to arrive there. As the story continues, Mary is determined to escape the cruel and dire existence of the colony. Was she successful in her escape?

Based on a true story, Mary’s courage, endurance and grit to withstand the utter cruelty and inhumane conditions of her plight leaves the reader awe struck.

The author weaves an evocative and strong narrative, and the reader becomes acutely aware of the deplorable conditions endured in the ships holding as they make their way to the colony. Heart-wrenching and vivid, this story will stay with you for a very long time.

Stephanie Hopkins

I rated this book five stars.

I obtained a copy of this book from the publishers through NetGalley for an honest review.

Reader’s Log 028: Ebook Haul

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From Black Friday Deals on Amazon

I review books for Severn House and yesterday they emailed me a list of ebooks that were on sale. A few of them I couldn’t pass up on. They were all a cent under a dollar. Do you review books for Severn House? Did you get an email from them? Below are four titles I selected. Can’t wait to read them!

This week I’ve spent the majority of the time reading. I created a bit of a reading challenge for myself. I will be posting soon about what I’ve been reading.

I hope you all had a lovely day yesterday.

Stephanie

The Troubling Death of Maddy Benson by Terry Shames

Everyone knows everyone in a small town like Jarrett Creek. So Chief of Police Samuel Craddock is perplexed when he receives a call from a woman asking the police to rescue her sister. Who is Maddy Benson?

Maddy said she had to get away, but she didn’t get far. When Craddock finds her just off the highway, she’s already dead, shot in the head. And as he learns more about the mysterious Maddy and the real reason behind her recent move to Jarrett Creek, his career is plunged into jeopardy. Can he unravel a terrible knot of lies, threats, dangerous politics and shocking secrets to reveal the truth behind the troubling death of Maddy Benson?

Summer of Secrets by Cora Harrison

When a murder is staged at magnificent Knebworth House, Victorian writer-sleuths, Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins investigate.August, 1856. Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens are spending the summer at Knebworth House, the magnificent Hertfordshire home of fellow writer Lord Edward Bulwer-Lytton, where they are putting on a charity performance of one of Lord Edward’s most successful plays, The Lady of Lyon. But the dress rehearsal is disrupted by the discovery of a body lying in the centre of the stage, shot to death.With everyone involved in the play coming under suspicion, the two writer-sleuths feel compelled to investigate. Their enquiries unearth a number of scandalous secrets lurking among the writers, artists and actors assembled at Knebworth. Secrets that stretch back more than twenty years. Secrets that will have devastating repercussions for the present.

Hollow Bones by Erica Wright

An eerie Appalachian town. A fatal fire. Three women whose fates intertwine . . .Essa Montgomery and her brother Clyde were brought up in New Hope, a serpent-handling church in Vintera, West Virginia, until the shocking deaths of both their parents closed the church down. Now twenty, reclusive Essa lives alone in her childhood home in the shadow of New Hope, which to her horror has been taken over by a new charismatic, unsettling pastor who continues the dangerous practice. So when the church burns down, she’s glad – until she learns that two people died in the blaze, and her brother’s the prime suspect . . .Life has made Juliet Usher, who scratches a living as a psychic medium, both assertive and ruthless. With a baby on the way, it’s the worst possible time for her partner Clyde to be arrested. She’ll do anything to survive and keep him out of prison – no matter what it takes!Merrit Callahan has always been ambitious. A striving news reporter, she’s willing to go the extra mile and break the rules to get the big scoop. And in small-town Vintera, she thinks she might have found the story that will be the making of her career.Fans of Angie Kim’s Miracle Creek and Eli Cranor’s Ozark Dogs will love this gripping and creepy mystery novel inspired by Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure using a contemporary setting filled with shocking twists and turns!

The Isolated Séance by Jeri Westerson

Watch out, Sherlock! Introducing one-time Baker Street Irregular Timothy Badger and his partner-in-crime Benjamin Watson, two exciting and unconventional young consulting detectives, mentored by the great man himself, tackling intriguing and unusual cases in Victorian London with endearing verve and wit.

Sherlock Holmes’s protégés Tim Badger and Benjamin Watson are catapulted into a tricky first case when a man is brutally murdered during a séance.

London, 1895. Former Baker Street Irregular Tim Badger is determined to follow in the footsteps of his great mentor, Sherlock Holmes, by opening his own consulting detective agency with his partner, Benjamin Watson. The intrepid duo are ready to make a name for themselves . . . if only they had clients!

Their luck changes when Sherlock recommends his protégés to Thomas Brent. Brent is eager to find out who killed his master, Horace Quinn, during a séance at Quinn’s house. What was Quinn desperately trying to find out from his deceased business partner, Stephen Latimer, before he was stabbed through the heart?

It seems that everyone in Quinn’s household had a reason to want him dead. Can Tim and Benjamin step out of Sherlock’s shadow to navigate dark secrets and unexpected dangers in their pursuit of a cold-blooded killer?

Book Review: The Perfect Ex-Wife by Winter K. Willis

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A Psychological Thriller

Pub Date Dec 02, 2024, by Celestial Bear Publishing

Ramona plays second fiddle to Bradley’s ex-wife, Natasha, who went missing twelve years ago. No matter how hard Ramona tries to be the perfect wife and mother to Bradley and his teenage daughter, Allison, they can’t let go of the past. No matter how hard she tries to be a good mother to Allison, she always says or does the wrong thing, and Allison pushes her further away.

The day two police officers show up at their home to tell them they discovered remains of a woman believed to be Bradley’s Ex-Wife Natasha, they bring in Bradley for questioning and from there everything spirals out of control. Family secrets and betrayal reveal themselves in astonishing ways.  

The Perfect Ex-Wife is told from Natasha and Ramona’s points of view, and it certainly is a page turner from the start. This story touches on a few themes such as alcoholism, depression, adultery, obsession, erratic behavior, neglect, self-serving behavior and devastating consequences for one’s actions. I have to say obsession and desperation drives the plot of this story and the author brilliantly portrays these actions.

What fascinates me about psychological thrillers is exploration of what is reality or what is perceived to be reality in the minds of the characters. Perception is tricky when it comes to the human mind and how we see and experience the world around us and how we perceive other people’s speech, actions and motives. Our perception could easily be distorted, which may lead to serious and devastating consequences for oneself and others when acted upon. I thought a lot about this while reading this story which leads to the unreliable narrator. The characters’ credibility in the story becomes compromised by the ill choices they make due to their perception of reality and their own selfish wants. We see this abundantly with the characters in this story and it leaves you guessing what is true and what is false. The lines quickly blur as the story progresses and before you know it, things take a drastic turn to events.

What a thrilling and suspenseful story.

Stephanie

I obtained a galley copy from Celestial Bear Publishing through NetGalley for an honest review.

Reader’s Log 025: Cover Crush

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Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart by Russ Ramsey – Published October 22, 2024 by Zondervan

What Art Teaches Us About the Wonder and Struggle of Being Alive  

I love art history and I was thrilled to come across this book from a YouTuber I follow. The cover is a stunning piece of art and the premise of the book sounds intriguing! Are you an art history enthusiast? Adding this one to my wish-list.

Stephanie

Book Description:

Beyond a mere introduction to great art, Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart is about loving to learn what art has to teach us about the wonder and struggle of being alive.

Did you know that:

  • Vincent van Gogh’s attempt to start an artist’s colony with Paul Gauguin lasted only nine weeks, ending in his infamous “ear episode”?
  • Pablo Picasso was a prime suspect in the disappearance of the Mona Lisa?
  • Artemisia Gentileschi was tortured with thumbscrews to verify her testimony at her own rapist’s trial?
  • Norman Rockwell’s critics said his work would never be accepted as “high art”–and he agreed?

These stories–and many more–shaped the work these artists left behind. In their art are lessons common to the human experience about the wonder and struggle of being alive: dreams lost, perspectives changed, and humility derived through suffering.

In Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart, Russ Ramsey digs into these artists’ stories for readers who may be new to art, as well as for lifelong students of art history, to mine the transcendent beauty and hard lessons we can take from their masterpieces and their lives. Each story from some of the history’s most celebrated artists applies the beauty of the gospel in a way that speaks to the suffering and hope we all face.

Reader’s Log 024: Trilogies Part I

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Thomas De Quincey Trilogy by David Morrell

Quite a few years ago now, I had the pleasure to interview and review about David Morrell’s Thomas De Quincey Trilogy. A few weeks ago, I was looking through my book stacks and came across paperback copies of his trilogy. I thought this would be a great story to read again and how it would be a great idea to re-post about his books and the interview I had with him, back in 2013. Gosh, has it really been that long ago since I interviewed David? Time flies! Morell’s Thomas De Quincey Trilogy is a fantastic read and perfect for the fall season to curl up with. By the way, did you know that Morrell is best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become a successful film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone?

Stephanie

Murder as a Fine Art #1

Gaslit London is brought to its knees in David Morrell’s brilliant historical thriller.

Thomas De Quincey, infamous for his memoir ‘Confessions of an English Opium-Eater’, is the major suspect in a series of ferocious mass murders identical to ones that terrorized London forty-three years earlier.

The blueprint for the killings seems to be De Quincey’s essay “On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts.” Desperate to clear his name but crippled by opium addiction, De Quincey is aided by his devoted daughter Emily and a pair of determined Scotland Yard detectives.

In ‘Murder as a Fine Art’, David Morrell plucks De Quincey, Victorian London, and the Ratcliffe Highway murders from history. Fogbound streets become a battleground between a literary star and a brilliant murderer, whose lives are linked by secrets long buried but never forgotten.

My interview with David Morell and review for Murder as a Fine Art

Inspector of the Dead #2

The year is 1855. The Crimean War is raging. The incompetence of British commanders causes the fall of the English government. The Empire teeters. Amid this crisis comes opium-eater Thomas De Quincey, one of the most notorious and brilliant personalities of Victorian England. Along with his irrepressible daughter, Emily, and their Scotland Yard companions, Ryan and Becker, De Quincey finds himself confronted by an adversary who threatens the heart of the nation.

This killer targets members of the upper echelons of British society, leaving with each corpse the name of someone who previously attempted to kill Queen Victoria. The evidence indicates that the ultimate victim will be Victoria herself.

My book review of “Inspector of the Dead”

Ruler of the Night #3

Thomas De Quincey is beginning to control his opium addiction when the excitement of his current case threatens to unravel his grip on reality once and for all. On their way home to the Lake District, the De Quinceys become unwitting witnesses to a truly historic murder: the first to take place on one of England’s newly constructed railways.

The railways changed everything in the Victorian era, transforming the English countryside, revolutionizing modern industry, and as the De Quinceys discover, providing the perfect escape. Giving chase in a cat-and-mouse game unlike any that have come before, the De Quinceys uncover a dangerous secret that reaches all levels of English society.

My book review of “Ruler of the Night”

David Morell’s website